While reading Issue #1 of PC Accelerator, they mentioned that they also created a "trial issue". Apparently it was only given out at E3 1998 and was posted on their website (I used Wayback Machine for their site but couldn't find the issue). Besides a few mentions on old forums, I can't find anything else about it. Does anyone have it?
Also overall, were there any other trials by other publications? I've came across them in other areas, but never gaming-wise. So I guess maybe it wasn't super common?
marktrade scanned all the PC Accelerator issues a long time ago. I'm pretty sure if he had the trial issue he would've scanned it back then.
It's one of those urban legends until someone happens upon a copy I am afraid as if one of our members had it I'm sure they would've already mentioned it on the forums at some point and I don't recall ever seeing anything about it.
I think the PC Accelerator issue would be more accurately called a "preview issue." There are similar promotional issues of mags produced to get people interested before the official launch issue, such as "Official Sega Dreamcast Magazine" issue 0 (USA) and PSM2's sample mini magazine (UK). There are surely others, as well, and others still that served a similar promotional function but were produced part-way through the mag's lifecycle, rather than prior to launch, such as a free mini version of Gamesmaster (UK) that was produced during its first year of publication and included for free in issues of Sega Power.
Yep. Do a search for #000 in the download section and you will find quite the selection of preview issues available here. Just not the one @Xanarki wants unfortunately!!
You can find some here. Off the top of my head I remember Xbox had one.